Sheet delivery means for rotary offset printing presses



L. MESTRE Nov. 11, 1958 SHEET DELIVERY MEANS FOR ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESSES Filed Aug. 18, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

INVENTOR I LUIS MESTRE HIS ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1958 L. MESTRE 2,859,692

SHEET DELIVERY MEANS FOB ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESSES Filed Aug. 18,1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2. I l H L. MESTRE Nov. 11, 1958 SHEET DELIVERY MEANS FOR ROTARY OFFSET PRIN TING PRESSES Filed Aug. 18, 1 954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 'FIG.5.,

FIG. 6.

, lNvEN'lbR, LU IS M EST RE HIS ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1958 L. MESTRE 2,859,692

SHEET DELIVERY MEANS FOR ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESSES Filed Aug. 18, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.

' INVENTOR LUIS M EST RE QWAM HIS ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1958 L. MESTRE 2,859,692

SHEET DELIVERY MEANS FOR ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESSES Filed Aug. 18. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 7B.

INVENTOR LUIS MESTRE BY 7. ZM M HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent SHEET DELIVERY MEAN FUR ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESSES Luis Mestre, New York, N. Y., assignor to Lewfor Development Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 18, 1954, Serial No. 450,567

11 Claims. (Cl. 101-217) The present invention relates to improvements in'printing presses and more particularly in sheet transfer and delivery means for printing presses. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 378,035, filed September 2, 1953, now Patent No. 2,821,911.

In said copending application each sheet is fed to an aligning gate or gauge and ash is gripped by gripper fingers on an impression cylinder said gate is withdrawn so as not to interfere with the action of the gripper fingers in gripping a sheet to the impression cylinder and advancing it therearound. There is also a rotary delivery device with gripper fingers to engage and grip the leading edge of a sheet as it is fed thereto by the impression-cylinder gripper fingers which release it at that time. The sheet is then carried partway around the rotary delivery device by the gripper fingers thereon to a delivery position where the last mentioned gripper fingers are released. The sheet is then advanced by engagement at opposite faces by said rotary device and a separate roll travelling at the same surface speed.

One important difliculty" found in the prior form of the invention is that the leading edge of a sheet on the rotary discharge device tends to adhere thereto after release of said leading edge by the gripper fingers on the rotary delivery device.

It is therefore an important object of the invention to provide kick-off members to act on the leading edge of a means generally.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear upon consideration of the following detailed description and of the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a section taken along line 1--1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 66 of Fig. 3 showing flexible gripper fingers on the impression cylinder starting their closing movements under actuation by a spring device;

Fig. 6A is a view similar to Fig. 6 but with the gripper fingers in closed position;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2 showing the leading edge of the sheet gripped by the fingers of the impression cylinder and about to be gripped by the flexible gripper fingers on the delivery device;

Fig. 7A is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the leading edge of a sheet just gripped by gripper fingers on the rotary delivery device and the controlling means for the impression cylinder gripper fingers ready to shift them to ineffective position;

Fig. 7B is a view similar to Fig. 7A but with the transfer of the leading edge of the sheet completed; and

Fig. 7C is a view similar to Fig. 7B but with the leading edge of the sheet released by the fingers of the rotary delivery device and kicked off from such device.

Referring to the drawings, sheets 10 on which printing is to be done are frictionally fed at suitable intervals over a support 11 and beneath a preferably transparent member 12 to a position against a gate or gage 13 which is effective at the proper times to position the sheets and then rendered ineffective to free the sheets as they are gripped to an impression cylinder 14 by means of spring gripper fingers 15. The flexibility of the gripper finger 15 answers effective gripping action by each of the fingers.

As the impression cylinder 14 rotates a sheet 10 held by gripper fingers 15 is carried between said impression cylinder 14 and a blanket cylinder 16 to effect printing on the sheet 10. After passing the contact line between the impression cylinder 14 and the blanket cylinder 16, the sheet 1b is advanced until its leading edge reaches a position for transfer of control from gripper fingers 15 to that of spring gripper fingers 17 carried by a rotary delivery device 18.

The leading edge of the sheet 10 under control by the gripper fingers 17 is advanced between said rotary delivery device 13 and a roll 12 beneath the same. Upon a suitable advance of the leading edge of the sheet 10 beyond {the roll 19, the leading edge is released and the sheet is advanced until it is deposited in an inclined tray or chute 20.

As brought out in said copending application, cylinder 14, rotary delivery device 18, roll 19, blanket cylinder 16 and inking cylinder 21 are driven by intermeshing gears to produce equal surface speeds. Herein the only gears of this group which are shown are gear 22 fixed to cylinder 14, gear 23 fixed to rotary delivery device 18, and gear 24 fixed to roll 19. Impression cylinder 14 is mounted by means of ball bearing 25 (Fig. 3) on a shaft 26 with its ends fixed in side frames 27. Blanket cylinder 16 and rotary delivery device 18 are mounted respectively on shafts 28 and 29 rotatably mounted in said side frames 27. Said roll 19 is mounted on a shaft 34 (Fig. 7C) and comprises a rubber sleeve 31 with projecting points thereon (Figs. 7A and 7C).

Each sheet 10 is frictionally fed by means including one or more conveyor belts 35 between support 11 and member 12 to a position where it is stopped by engagement of its leading edge with substantially vertical fingers or teeth 36 of said gage 13. The lower ends of said teeth are normally housed in slots at the edge of member 12 but as the forward edge of a sheet approaches the gaging position said teeth 36 are depressed across the path of said sheet. As brought out more fully in said copending application, said gage 13 has substantially an inverted L cross section with one flange pivotally mounted on the top of a rock shaft 37 of which the ends are mounted for rotation on said side frames 27. fingers occupy alternate slots in member 12 leaving the remaining slots free for the passage of gripper fingers 15. As shown in Fig. 3, fingers 36'are separated by high arched openings to accommodate spring fingers 15.

Fixed to said impression cylinder 14 is a cam 38 with a generally circular edge but having a short depression. Said cam 38 engages a follower 39 on an arm 40, secured to shaft 37, and holds fingers 36 of said gage 13 in raised or ineffective position after a sheet 10 has been gripped by said fingers 15 and until another sheet approaches the position for gripping by said fingers 15. Said follower .3? is pressed against cam 38 by means including a spring 41 connecting an arm 42 on shaft 39 with a fixed pin 43 on the frame. Said arm 40 may be adjusted around shaft 37 on which it is mounted by means such as disclosed in said copending application.

Thesurface of said impression cylinder 14 is circular in cross section except for a longitudinal channel or trough 45 to accommodate said gripper fingers 15 and shaft 46 on which they are mounted. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a cover plate 47 curved to provide a continuation of the cylindrical surface is secured over said channel. However said cover plate 41 has alternate slots 48 to receive gripper fingers 15 and larger slots 49 to receive said fingers 36 of the gage and gripper fingers 17 carried by said rotary delivery device 18.

Said spring fingers 15 are resilient and preferably of fiat spring material, the inner ends of said springs being secured to shaft 46 at a fiat side thereof. Shaft 46 is mounted in ends 51 of cylinder 14 and projects out of the rear end of this cylinder. Fixed on the rear end of shaft 46 is a block or tumbler 52 having at its rear face a cam groove 53 in the form of a straight central part and flared ends. Pivoted on the screw pivot 54 at the inner or front face of tumbler 52 and remote from fingers 15 is a link 55 curved around a hub 56 and connected at its other end by a pivot 57 to one end of a lever 58 mounted between its ends on a pivot 59 projecting from the adjacent end 51 of the impression cylinder 14, and at its other end by a pivot 60 to the end of a link 61.

Said link 61 comprises a head 62 connected by a pivot 63 to lever 58 at a point on the arm of said lever remote from said pivot 57, a shank or rod 64 projecting from said head 63, a helical spring 65 through which said shank 64 passes, a bracket 66 through which said shank 64 fixed to said head 51 passes, a nut 67 on the threaded end of said shank 64 to regulate the spring action, and a lock nut 68.

By adjustment of the nut 67 the open and closed positions of the gripper fingers 15 and block 52 can be adjusted. As indicated in Figs. and 6 gripper fingers 15 in moving to full open position are accommodated in slots 70 (Figs. 3 and 6) in trough 45 (Fig. 1).

Prior to engagement with pin 71 projecting inwardly from end frame (Fig. 3) the block or tumbler 52 is in its extreme counterclockwise position as determined by nut 67 on shank 64. However, as the outer inclined surface 72 of the flared leading end of 'cam groove 53 engages pin 71, the block will begin to turn in a clockwise direction. At about the same time the follower 39 has dropped into said depression on cam 38 and gage fingers 36 have dropped into the positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 5 to engage the leading edge of a sheet and position it for engagement by gripper fingers 15. As the fingers grip the leading edge of a sheet 10, said gage fingers are withdrawn (Fig. 6A). After shaft 46 reaches its Fig. 6 position, the rest of its clockwise movement is effected by spring 65 under control of opposite inclined surface 72a and gripper fingers 15 press the leading edge of sheet 10 against the rear edge of the cover plate 47 (Fig. 6A).

As the impression cylinder 14 reaches the position for transfer of the sheet from control by fingers 15 to control by gripper fingers 17 of the rotary delivery device 18, the inner inclined surface 73 at the leading end of the block engages pin 74 and shaft 46 is turned in a counterclockwise direction until the inclined surface 73a engages pin 74. Then the spring 65 comes into action and under control by surface 73a continues the turning movement until nut 67 engages bracket 66. The shaft 46 retains this position until pin 71 comes into action.

The rotary delivery device comprises disks 80 connected in pairs by sleeves 8801 which when mounted on shaft 29 locate said disks opposite slots 49 of the cover plate 47. Each of said disks has a notch or gap through which passes a shaft 81 on which said gripper'fingers 17 are secured at their innerends, and. has", at the rear edge of each gap a widened part 82 with which a corre- 4 sponding gripper finger 17 cooperates. Except at said widened part 82, each disk has a bevelled edge. Said bevelled edges engage the printed face of each sheet but the area of contact is very small and the printing will not be smeared.

Said shaft 81 is journalled in radius arm 83 at the right of Fig. 3 and in an arm 84 corresponding to arm 83 but forming part of a member 85 comprising another arm 86. A tension spring 87 connecting arm 86 with an arm 88 on shaft 81 acts to urge gripper fingers 17 in a counterclockwise direction to cooperate with parts 82 of the disks 80.

An arm 89 fixed on shaft 81 carries a follower 90 which engages a fixed cam 91 having a high circular part 92, a low circular part 93, and inclined connections 94. Kickoff arms are also mounted on shaft 81 in positions corresponding to those of gripper fingers 15. The inclined connections 94 are such that either one can force back the follower 90, thus permitting rotation of the delivery device in either direction.

Inasmuch as the fixed pins 71 and 74 do not pass through the straight central part of cam groove 53 in block or tumbler 52, there is no reason, except possibly convenience of manufacture, for having an open connection between said flared ends or even for having any side walls at positions not reached by pins 71 and 74.

In operation of the machine the block or tumbler 52 after passing the fixed pin 74 is positioned with gripper fingers 15 pointed forward and with spring 65 holding nut 67 against bracket 66. As the block 52 approaches its Fig. 1 position, the inclined surface 72 will engage the fixed pin 71 and start to rotate the shaft 46 in a clockwise direction. At about the same time the cam 38 attached to the impression cylinder 14 which has been holding the fingers 36 above the surface of a sheet on the impression cylinder will cause them to move downward across the path of a sheet advanced by belt conveyor 35 as shown in Fig. 5. The block 52 will be turned by fixed pin 71, substantially to its Fig. 6 position although spring 65 will have begun to urge shaft 46 to turn in a clockwise direction. This motion will, however, be controlled to a certain extent by the engagement of inclined surface 72a with pin 71. As the gripper fingers press the leading edge of sheet 10 against plate 47, the cam 38 will act to lift fingers 36 out of the path of the sheet 10.

At this time the gripper fingers 17 and kickoff fingers 95 (Fig. 1) hav been thrown well out from the disks 80 and follower 90 has ridden up lower incline or connection 94. As the impression cylinder 14 and rotary discharge device 18 approach sheet-transfer position (Fig. 7), gripper fingers 17 enter slots 49 in plate 47 and the leading edge of a sheet 10 is drawn between fingers 17 and 95. Thereafter the follower 90 rides down the incline 94 adjacent to impression cylinder 14, thus rendering the fingers 17 effective (Fig. 7A) and swinging the kickoff fingers 95 inwardly between disks 80.

Following the gripping of the sheet 10 by fingers 17, the front incline 73 engages pin 74 to begin counterclockwise turning of block 52 (Fig. 7A) and counterclockwise rotation of shaft 46 to release said sheet 10 (Fig. 7B). Pin 73 will continue to turn block 52 until it is past center and its turning is then carried on by spring 65 until nut 67 engages bracket 66. These parts remain in their relative positions until pin 71 is again made effective to control said block 52.

In Fig. 7B it is indicated that when follower 90 is in position for fingers 17 to engage the broad portions 82 of the disks 80, the spring fingers 17 may be strong enough to hold follower 90 away from the low part 93 against the action of spring 87.

Inasmuch as the sheet 10 is engaged by spring fingers 17 before being released by finger 15, feeding of sheets by pressure between disks 80 and cylinder 14 is avoided.

Parts of a sheet back of said gripper fingers '17 are guided by disks 80.

Upon reaching the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 7A the follower is thrown outward abruptly, releasing the fingers 17 and actuating said knock-off fingers 95 to cast off the leading end of the sheet 10. The surface of roll 19 with its numerous projections is advantageous in furnishing a good friction surface which will avoid injury of a sheet 10 engaged between it and the relatively sharp edges of the disks.

It should be understood that various changes may be made and that certain features may be used without others, without departingfrom the true scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described for making impressions on successive sheets, the combination of an impression cylinder, an impression cylinder shaft, a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder and a rotary delivery device, means for operating said impression cylinder and said delivery device at the same surface speed, but in opposite directions, gripping means on said impression cylinder comprising spring fingers spaced therealong to grip the leading edge of a sheet at a supply position and to release said leading edge when the same has passed the blanket cylinder, and gripping means on said rotary device for gripping the leading edge of a sheet as it is released from the impression cylinder and releasing said leading edge as the trailing edge of the sheet passes from the blanket cylinder, said rotary device comprising a shaft and disks spaced to receive therebetween said spring fingers of the impression cylinder and receiving the printed faces of printed sheets from the impression cylinder, said disks having bevelled edges to give limited contact with said sheets.

2. In a machine of the class described for making impressions on successive sheets, the combination according to claim 1 wherein said impression cylinder has a longitudinal opening and said gripping means comprises a gripper shaft in said opening mounted in the ends of said cylinder and extending beyond one of said ends, spring gripper fingers secured at their inner ends to said gripper shaft and arranged to press against the cylinder at the rear edge of said opening; a block centrally mounted on the outer end of said gripper shaft and having at its outer face a cam groove with flared outer ends, a pin projecting from a fixed part at a greater distance from said impression cylinder shaft than said gripper shaft to engage the upper side of the flared end of the cam groove when the fingers are pointed forwardly and swing the fingers rearwardly to gripping position, and a fixed pin at a lower level positioned to engage the lower side of the other flared end and turn said block counterclockwise through substantially 180 to release the leading edge of the sheet.

3. In a machine of the class described for making impressions on successive sheets, the combination according to claim 2 wherein the gripping means on said impression cylinder includes means for snapping the gripper fingers from closed to open position and from open to closed position, said spring fingers so arranged that spring fingers of both sets passes through corresponding spaces between spring fingers of the opposite set.

4. In a machine of the class described for making impressions on successive sheets, the combination according to claim 3 wherein said means for snapping the gripping means open and closed comprises a link pivoted to the inner face of said block opposite the end of the cam slot adjacent the inner end of said gripper fingers and extending around the cylinder shaft to the opposite side thereof, a lever pivoted centrally on the head of said cylinder and pivoted at one end to the free end of said link and at the other end to one end of a link compris ing a central rod passing through a compression spring and a member pivoted to the cylinder head, said rod having a threaded end projecting beyond the last mentioned member, and a nut engaging the threaded end of said rod.

5. In a machine of the class described for making impressions on successive sheets, a combination according to claim 1 wherein said rotary device comprises a shaft, end members mounted thereon, a gripper shaft mounted in said end members and spaced from the first mentioned shaft carrying said ends, gripper fingers secured at their ends to said gripper shaft, an arm fixed on said gripper shaft, a spring connected at one end to said arm and to said end to turn the gripper fingers to gripping position, a second arm on said gripper shaft outside said end, a follower on the outer end of said last mentioned arm and a fixed cam to cooperate with said follower to shift said gripper fingers to releasing position to release a sheet and in returning said gripper fingers to gripping position.

6. In a machine of the class described for making impressions on successive sheets, the combination according to claim 1 wherein said rotary device comprises a main shaft, end members fixed on said shaft, the disks having aligned cut-outs at one position around said main shaft, a gripper shaft extending through said cut-outs and mounted in said end members, said gripping means comprising in addition to said gripper shaft gripper fingers secured at their ends thereto and arranged to engage the disks at one side of the cut-outs, spring means urging the gripper fingers to closed position and means including a stationary cam for opening said gripper fingers.

7. In a machine of the class described for printing on sheets, the combination of a sheet supply means having a sheet supply position, a rotary impression cylinder adjacent the supply means and having grippers to grip the leading edge of a sheet at the sheet supply means, a rotary delivery device rotated at the same surface speed as said cylinder and adjacent the impression cylinder at a transfer position, gripping fingers on said rotary device, means to actuate said gripper fingers to grasp the leading edge of a sheet on the impression cylinder at said transfer position and release it at a delivery position, and a roll cooperating with said rotary device at a position between transfer position and delivery position to hold a sheet against said rotary device and providing the sole feeding means to feed the sheet after release of said gripper fingers until the trailing edge thereof passes from the rotary device.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said rotary device comprises a shaft parallel to the axis of said cylinder, a series of bevelled disks spaced along said shaft supporting each sheet and said roll comprises a surface of resilient material having a multiplicity of projections engaging each sheet opposite said bevelled edges.

9. The combination with an impression cylinder of a printing machine with delivery means for successive sheets, comprising a shaft parallel to the axis of said cylinder, disks mounted at intervals along said shaft and having aligned gaps extending to the periphery, a gripper shaft extending through said gaps parallel to the first mentioned shaft, bearings for said gripper shaft in members fixed to said first mentioned shaft and providing the sole mounting for said gripper shaft, gripper fingers mounted on said gripper shaft to engage seats at the rear sides of said gaps, spring means urging said fingers toward said seats, and means including a stationary cam for controlling the movement of said fingers to and from said seats.

10. In a machine as in claim 7 in which the rotary delivery device includes a shaft parallel to the axis of said cylinder, disks fixed on said shaft at regular intervals and provided with aligned gaps, said disks having bevelled edges to provide small areas of contact with the printed faces of said sheet, a gripper shaft extending through said gaps, members fixed to the first-mentioned shaft having aligned bearings for said gripper shaft, spring means urging said gripper fingers against said disks at the rear sides of said gaps, means comprising a cam for closing said gripper fingers at said transfer position to grasp said leading edge as the sheet is released from said impression cylinder, aind for opening said gripper fingers at a discharge position. 5 11. A printing machine in accordance with claim 1 including kick-01f means comprising a second set of spring fingers fixed on the gripper shaft so as to be between said disks when the gripper fingers are closed and to strike the inner surface of the sheet when said gripper fingers 10 are retracted.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith June 1, 1920 White Aug. 24, 1926 White Aug. 31, 1926 Henderson Aug. 2, 1932 Morse Aug. 7, 1934 Jacobson Nov. 30, 1937 Jirousek' Sept. 30, 1941 Garassino Jan. 1, 1946 Harrold Feb. 20, 1951 Aberle Apr. 29, 1952 

